A Christmas special of the Vicar of Dibley got more viewers than the death of EastEnders' Pauline Fowler on Christmas Day, according to unofficial overnights.

The sitcom, which stars Dawn French, pulled the most ratings of any TV programme in the UK on Christmas Day, with 11.4 million viewers tuning in at 9.30pm.

The second episode of an EastEnders double-bill, shown at 9pm, climaxed in the departure of Wendy Richards, one of the show's original cast members, but managed just 10.7 million. The first episode, shown at 6.30pm, achieved 9.2 million, just behind Coronation Street which got 9.6 million.